Sliding door



Jan. 8, 1929. r T. H..CROMER SLIDING DOOR Filed Nov. 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I A ATTORNEY CROMER SLIDING DOOR Filed Nov. 8, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 1- ..Hmm1mmmwmw VII/I/ INVENTOR ATTORN EY Jan. 8, 1929. 1,698,675

T. H. CROMER SLIDING DOOR k! Filed Nov;8, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 M m a 4y: 1;; 55 nl ijllll i'liiiilh 5f IIIIII INVENTOR Z 176mm ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 8, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

SLIDING DOOR.

Application filed November 8, 1927. Serial No. 231,896.

My invention relates to doors, and more particularly to vertically movable sliding doors for garages and other small buildings.

An object of the invention is to provide a vertically sliding door which may be readily elevated to open position and supported in an out of the way position, thus rendering the door particularly applicable to crowded structures where it is impossible to employ the usual swinging doors.

A further object of the invention is to provide a vertically movable door which will require but little effort to raise and lower the same to open and closed positions, and which when raised will be held without danger of falling until manually lowered.

The invention also contemplates a door of this character embodying a plurality of sections or panels movable in trackways which are arranged, when in closed position, to provide a water tight joint at their adjacent edges.

With the preceding and other objects and advantages in mind'the invention consists in the combination of elements, construction and arangement of parts and operations to be hereinafter specifically referred to, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein, I

Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section of my improved door associated with a building, two doors being illustrated, one of which occupies a closed position, while the other is in elevated or open position,

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 22 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a similar View takenon line 33 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary elevation of the door frame,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the door counter-balancing weights, Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Figure 2,

Figure 7 is a perspective of one of the links embodied in the door frame,

Figure 8 is a perspective of one of the door panel securing elements, and

Figure 9 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 9-9 of Figure 2.

Referring to the invention in detail a pair of trackways is provided at the opposite ends of the building structure 5 consisting of pairs of parallel transversely aligned angle bars 4 and 6, the formerof each pair of which are secured Within the door opening by fastenlngs' 7 engaging thebuilding end posts 8, while the angle bars 6 are arranged within the building adjacent the end posts. The angle bars (3 have their upper ends curved away from the front wall of the building and ter minate in horizontal tracks or branches 9 whose ends are attached to a joist or beam 10 depending from the roof of the building by fastenings 11.

A sliding door is provided embodying a flexible frame or side members made up of links 12 having their adjacent ends hingedly connected as at 13, and a horizontally disposed angle bar 14 attached to the upper ends of the coinciding links of each side member.

A longitudinal metallic'panel 16 extends from one angle bar 14 to the other with the adjacent ends thereof arranged in over-lapping relation and the lower longitudinal edge of each panel rolled as at 17, upon a reinforcing rod 18.. These rolled edges contact with the adjacent panels and provide a water tight joint therebetween. Cleats 19 are disposed upon the outer face of each panel at the ends thereof and are held in clamped engagement with the panels by transverse fastenings 20 engaging the panels and adjacent ends of the links.

As illustrated in Figure 2 the links of each side member are disposed between each pair of angle bars and each alternate link is formed with a pair of rearwardly extending semicircular plates 21 upon its rear face, between each pair of which, a roller 22 is journaled, the latter contacting with angle bars 6.

In order to retain the links against lateral shifting a U-shaped member 23 is attached to the rear faceof alternate links by means of the fastenings 20 and are disposed with the ends of their parallel legs contacting with the angle bar 6. It will be observed that these U-shaped members normally prevent breaking of the hinge or pivotal connection between the adjacent ends of the links and thus retain the panels in proper relation.

Rollers 24 and 25 "are journaled in recesses 26 in the outer face of each of the cleats 19 adjacent their opposite ends, the former contacting with and movable over the angle bars 4 and the latter being adapted to engage longitudinally curved guide arms 27 arranged parallel to the curved ends of the angle bars 4 at the upper ends of the angle bars 6 to guide the panels onto the tracks or branches 9 when the door is elevated.

Counter-balancingmeans is provided forithe door comprising a vertical rectangular Dpen ended casing 30 at each end of the door and secured within each casing intermediate its ends is a rectangular facing 31 afiording a ledge or weight stop 32. at its upper edge, and having its under face bevelled as at 33 to prevent interlocking of the vertically movable counter-balancing weights 34. These counter-balancing weights 34 are suspended from the ends of flexible elements 35 trained over pulleys 36 above the open ended casings and whose opposite ends are attached to the lower end of the sliding door. Co-operatin with each of the weights 34 and arranger above the same Within the casings is a weight 37 of a size and shape to contact with the walls of the casings and having a central vertical bore 38 through which one of the flexible elements 35 extends. A central depression or recess 39 having its sidewalls bevelled as at 40, is provided in the under face of each of the wei hts'37 to receive the correspondingly bevelled upper edges 41 of the Weight 34 to insure concentric relation of the two weights,

to cause an even lift of the latter so that theweights 37 cannot tilt and bind in the casings.

As shown in Fi re 5 the weights 34consist of an eye bolt 41' attached to the flexible element and a plurality of superimposed rechavmg coinciding rectangular bores 43 through which the eye bolt extends. A securing nut 44 is received upon the lower end of the eye bolt. A central projection or lug 45 is formed upon the under face of each of the weight sections, while a/ correspondingly shaped recess 46 is provided in the up er face of each of the sections to receive the ug.

When the door is inclosed or normal position the weights 34 are disposed at the upperends of the casings with the weight 37 resting thereon. When, however, the door has been elevated to open position the weights 37 enga e and rest upon the ledges 32. i

o compensate .for shock incident to'raisin of the door, a cushioned stop 47 is provi ed at the: upper end of the door opening engageable by a lateral rigid stop 48 carried by the lower edge of the door at its outer face. This stop 47 comprises a pair of substantially U-shaped brackets 49 secured to the front wall of the building by fastenings 50. A stop or abutment plate 51 is vertically movable upon vertical stems 52 carried by the legs'of the brackets. Shock absorbing springs 53 encircle each of these stems and engage theiupper 1e of the brackets and the plate 51 to normal y retain the latter against the abutment plate '51.

Handles 55 are carried ,by the lower end of the door at its outer face by means of which the latter is elevated and lowered.

A hasp 56 is pivotally mounted upon one of these handles and is engageable with a keeper locking the hasp frame members against 57 mounted at the lower end of one of the end posts, when the door is'in lowered position, and a conventional lock 58 is provided for on'the keeper.

Operation..- A

In the operation of my improved door the latter is slid upwardly 1n the trackways by lifting upon the handles. As the panels reach the upper end of the tracks they are guided laterally onto the horizontal branches 9 by reason of the rollers 25 contacting with the guide arms 27. During the raising of the door the counter-balancing weights 34 and 37 are descending as a unit relieving the operator of the weight of the door. It will be observed that as the weights 34. pass through the facings 31, the welghts 37 engaging the shoulders 32 will besupported by the latter until 5 ascent of the latter incident to the lowering of they are picked up by the weights 34 upon the door.

To eliminate friction between the weight,

37 and the coupling 35 and hence reduce wear of the latter, a lubricant recess 58, receiving lubricant 59, is provided in the upper end of .the weight. In practice this lubricant will have sufiicient base so as not to liquefy in warm climates.

' What is claimed is:

1. In combinationa sliding door, pairs of vertically arranged tracks, one of each, pair of which being laterally curved at its upper end and terminating in a horizontal branch,

a pluralityof doorframe members movable 2.

between each pair of tracks and having their ends pivotally connected together panels carried by the door frame members, rol

ing'one of the tracks, means carried by members against pivotal movement, b'uto erabl'e to permit pivotal movement of t e door frame members when the 'door is shifted around the laterally curved upper ends.

. 2. In a sliding door, airs of parallel tracks having lateral bran es at their upper ends, a door frame slidably mounted in the tracks including a plurality'of frame members pivotally connected together panels carried thereb' rollers carried by th frame mem ersfand contacting with one track member ofeach pair, U-shaped members carried by the remaining .door frame members and slidably contacting with the last men tioned track member to normally retain the pivotal movement and also slidable onto the lateral branches when the door frame is raised, and means co-operating with the door frame members lers carried by alternate door frame members and engzlg- 9' remaining alternate door frame members and engaging-said track to hold the door frame e alternate tracks having lateral branches at their upper ends, a door frame slidably mounted in the tracks including a plurality of frame members pivotally ried thereby, rollers carried by the alternate arm members and contactingwith one trackmember of each pair, U-shaped members carried by the remaining door frame members and slidably contacting with'the'last-mentioned'track member to normally retain the frame members against pivotal movement and also slidable onto the lateral branches when the door frame is raised, and means 09- 4 operating with the door frame members for causing them to pivot and. guiding'them onto the lateral extensions upon raising the.

door, flexible elements connected with the door, and counter-balancing weights connected with the flexible elements. 1

4; In combination, pairs of opposed tracks, one of each pair having. a laterally curved upper end communicating with a horizontal branch, a plurality of hingedly connected door frame sections movable between each air of tracks, panels carnied by the'door rame members rollers projecting from one face of alternating door frame members and connected together, panels car- .members, each pair tal track member at its up by the track members comprising a,

guided of pivotally' connected door frame" 7 plurality engaging those tracks havingblaterally, curved upper ends, U-shaped mem the remaining door frame members and slidably'contacting with said tracks to norma'lly prevent pivotal movement ofthe door frame. I members and also movable onto tal branches, and longitudinallycurved guide the horizonarms extending parallel to the curved track ers attached to.

portions whereby to direct the. door frame members and panels in a horizontal direction after they have reached the end of their upward movement.-

5'. In combination pairs of opposed track frame members and panels have reached the I end of their'upv i ard travel.

aving a single, horizonper end, a doorthe door frame memand HOMAS oaoMEn. j 

